


Anniversary

by Deyinel



Category: Hotel Transylvania (Movies)
Genre: But Also Creepy, Gen, Humour, The plot from "A Toad For Tuesday", Trapped with no way to escape, time limit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deyinel/pseuds/Deyinel
Summary: After Dracula's wife and baby daughter were murdered by humans, he isolated himself in his gloomy castle and allowed the hatred to build in his broken heart. Now, as the day of his loss approaches once again, the vampire finds an opportunity for a very special anniversary meal. Starring Dracula and Johnny almost exclusively.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	1. The Open Road

Anniversary Chapter 1  
Disclaimer: I do not own “Hotel Transylvania” or any of its characters. I also do not own A Toad for Tuesday”. My ridiculous attempts to bring them together are only for the purposes of entertainment.  
Hi, thanks for reading! First, this story was inspired by one of my favourite books as a child, “A Toad for Tuesday”. I am borrowing a variation of the plot of that book, but this story will exclusively feature “Hotel Transylvania” characters. Also, my apologies to Mavis, as she has died in this story. If I write another HT fanfic I will likely have her as a major character since I do really like her.  
This will be written exclusively from Johnny’s point of view, so we probably won’t learn too much about the Drac of this AU until later.  
I may be writing this story just for me, but check it out. I will do my best to do justice to the characters and setting.  
Hope you enjoy!

“Warton told him about the beetle brittle for Aunt Toolia and how he was traveling on Skis. The mouse thought it was a fine idea, but when Warton pointed in the direction in which he was going the mouse’s eyes opened wide in dismay.”  
\- _A Toad For Tuesday_ by Russell E. Erickson

Backpacking through Europe was everything Johnny had thought it would be, but so much more. After growing up in the middle of a bit city surrounded by concrete, lights, constant noise and equally constant older brothers, it was amazing to be out on his own and stretch his legs. His parents had asked him to text them every day and to call at least once a week. As the youngest of seven, he was used to it. He snapped pictures of everything he saw to send to his parents, and struck up a conversation with anyone he could find. It was even better when they were willing to talk back.

Romania, when he arrived, was spectacular. Johnny felt as thought he had stepped right into an old movie, but with better film quality. He chuckled to himself at the comparison, peering around with interest at the town he was spending the night in, a tiny village which was really a suburb of Bistritz. It was small and rustic, and this close to the Carpathian Mountains the view was breathtaking. The street lights were black and looked Gothic, and there were a fair amount of horses in evidence, although he could see quite a few cars as well. Johnny was planning to stay in a small bed and breakfast on a hill at one end of the village. He usually stayed in youth hostels, but hadn’t been able to find an available one in this area. It was a little more expensive, but it didn’t eat into his trip money too much, and he had wanted to come to this town.

He strolled through the front door, wiggling the warn slab of wood a few times and grinning at the squeaking noise it made.

“Hey dude,” he greeted the middle aged man he met inside. The man was barely visible under a load of folded blankets and towels, and was therefore likely in charge. Johnny followed up the greeting with a hearty slap on the back, than grinned a little sheepishly and helped to steady the tower of linens before they could topple.

“Uh, hello.” The man shuffled over to the nearby couch and deposited his burdens before turning to give Johnny his full attention. “I am Eduard, the co-owner here. Am I to understand that you are Jonathan Loughran, the young man staying here tonight?” He spoke with a slight accent which gave his words a lilting edge.

“Sure am!” Johnny whipped out his I.D. and held it out proudly. He shot a glance around the room and grinned widely at the sight of a pair of chocolate brown eyes attached to a furiously wagging tail. “Sick dog, man!”

“Um, thank you,” Eduard responded, hesitantly. He took Johnny’s I.D. card and inspected it while the redhead crouched and did the same the large black lab. “You are staying in room two, for one night only, yes?” Johnny looked up from the floor, dog already wrapped affectionately around his skinny frame.

“You got it,” he said, turning back to the dog and rubbing the velvety ears. “I’m gonna want breakfast, but I’ll be leaving pretty early. I’m hiking through this spooky forest, and even though hiking through a spooky forest at night sounds awesome, I need to get to my next hostel by seven o’clock to keep my reservation, so I gotta leave early in the morning to get there in time.” There was a _thump_ as Eduard collapsed into one of the tasseled armchairs. “You okay, man?”

“You don’t mean… _this_ forest, do you?” The man’s face had gone grey and he lifted a shaking arm, one finger pointing out through the walls of the house, presumably in the direction of the forest.

“Sure do!” Johnny replied enthusiastically. Poor guy must be under a lot of stress. He should really relax more. “You eating okay? My brother Arthur once ate this whole pot of chili, and he looked exactly like that. My mum said….”

“But you _can’t_ travel through this forest!” One shaking hand seized Johnny’s shoulder. “Those woods aren’t safe, even during the day they say! Inside lurks a monster who feeds on human blood!”

“Yes, exactly!” Johnny grinned excitedly. “I kept hearing all of these rumors about this bloodthirsty monster living in the spooky forest and it sounded awesome! That’s why I’m here. I figure, even if I don’t get to see the monster, who doesn’t want to check out a spooky forest, right?” Eduard seemed to be trying to form a sentence. His jaw hung open, quivering with aborted words. Johnny gently removed the hand from his shoulder and gave it an animated shake. “Well, Imma go check out my room. Is that my key?” He snagged it and his I.D. from the couch arm as he passed and headed for the stairs. “Nice to meet you man, and I’ll see you later,” he called on his way. Damian remained behind, mouth still wagging in silent protest.

Once in his room, Johnny threw his backpack onto the embroidered single bed and than followed it, snuggling gleefully onto the colourful quilt. He pulled out his phone, texting his mother a few photos of the village and one of his room, along with a smiley face. He would have to remember to take a photo of Eduard later, when the older man was feeling better. 

The afternoon and evening was a lot of fun. Johnny explored the village, poking his head inside every shop and cheerfully greeting everyone he passed. He ate dinner at a tiny restaurant which was also an inn, and finally set out back to his bed and breakfast when the sun was completely hidden behind the hills. There didn’t seem to be much of a night life, and Johnny met no one on his trip back. Eduard again tried to warn him about the forest when he arrived. The poor guy was very earnest, so Johnny made reassuring noises, but he wouldn’t change his mind and go by the main road; this was why he was here after all.

He slept well in the old-fashioned bed, and woke to a delicious spread of fresh bread with butter and homemade jam, eggs, cooked vegetables and cold cuts, and even a type of Romanian pretzel called a covrigi. There was also spicy sausage and some kind of strong cheese with Turkish coffee to wash it all down. Johnny ate lots of everything. He had found that if he ate well at breakfast, he could stick to an energy bar or two for lunch, and that way he could eat while traveling as well as save some money. Having to stop for lunch really ate into his sightseeing time.

Then he was ready to set off.

“Are you certain you will not reconsider, Mr. Loughran?”

Johnny looked up in the act of tying his shoes. Eduard was wringing his hat in his hands like a wet washcloth. Johnny smiled tolerantly.

“Sorry man, I’ve been looking forward to this place for ages, but I promise I’ll be careful. I don’t think there’s a monster, but I know forests can have dangerous things in them. I’ll stay on the path, and I’ll be through before dark, cool?”

Eduard sighed. “I suppose. It is true that the monster has not been seen in years. Perhaps it is no longer even there. Still, if you must travel that way, than go swiftly and try not to pause for too long. I will hope for your safe passage.”

“Thanks!” Johnny shook Eduard’s hand a final time, and gave Nadia, the black lab, a quick farewell cuddle. It was still only nine o’clock local time, but Johnny knew he should be on his way if he wanted to keep his promise and get through the forest before dark. He gave a jaunty wave and headed off through the center of the village until he reached the last house. 

He had noticed last night that the forest came right up to the wall of the village. Here the path into the forest was wide and showed the remains of stones which had been pressed into the dirt. The stones were old though, and Johnny doubted that they were consistent throughout. He tightened his backpack straps and gave the village a final look, than turned and strode confidently into the trees.

Johnny hadn’t gone very far before the trees closed in completely around him. Looking back, he could no longer see the houses of the village, even though he was sure he had only been walking for a few minutes. It was quite dark in the forest as well. The trees were old and heavily leafed. They stretched high above his head, and blocked out much of the bright sunlight he was sure was out there. Johnny felt a delightful tingle down his spine. He looked eagerly about as he walked, occasionally snapping photos of unusual fungi or the more unsettling of the dead trees he passed. 

For all of that he made good time, keeping up a steady pace for two hours, only pausing to drink from one of his water bottles. It was almost silent, with only a subdued rustling of unseen animals and the barely felt touch of wind in his hair. The light filtered through the forest canopy in fragmented beams and gave everything a green cast to it. He felt completely alone as he walked through this green, shifting tunnel, so it was a bit of a surprise when he suddenly came upon an unaccountable pare of legs protruding from a hole in a large tree stump.

The legs were dressed in dirty green pants, slightly ripped around the ankles, and the feet which protruded from the pant legs were shoeless and covered with mud. Johnny’s own feet halted as he processed the sight and he felt a worried little jump of his heart. However, before he could start wondering whether someone had spent last night sneaking into the woods to dump a body or something equally horrifying, he heard the reassuring rumble of snores issuing from within the stump.

Johnny stifled a snort. He sucked in a deep breath. “Hey, time to get up, dude!” 

The snoring stopped abruptly. There was a pause, and then the legs started kicking and a muffled voice sounded from inside the tree trunk.  
Johnny knocked on the wood. “Need some help?”

“HmmmMMMMhmmm!”

“Cool man, just a sec.” Johnny pulled his backpack off and set it beside a nearby tree, than he leant over the stump to hopefully help his voice to reach the trapped man. “I’m gonna grab your ankles, so don’t kick me in the face!” he called cheerfully. He took hold of the knobbly things and, pleased when no kicking resulted, bent his head close to the stump again. “When I count to ‘three’ I’m going to pull!”

“HmmmHmmm!” the voice responded.

“One…two…three!” Johnny yanked on the man’s ankles. He felt resistance as the edges of the hole scraped along the man’s torso, and then he was falling backward with a very dirty looking man on top of him. 

The man just lay there for a moment, blinking, than he pulled himself to his feet, stretching stiff arms and legs as he did so. 

“Wow, it feels good to be out of there!” he exclaimed, running the fingers of one muddy hand through scraggly, cobwebbed brown hair. Then, suddenly remembering his rescuer, he turned apologetically and offered a hand to Johnny where he was still lying on the ground, pulling the redhead to his feet. “Thanks for that, kid! I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

“No prob,” Johnny answered, ignoring the ‘kid’ comment. He heard it far too often for a twenty-one year old. He supposed he must have a young face. “How’d that happen anyway? Were you burying pirate treasure or something?”

“Oh…no, no, no….” The stranger trailed off with a chuckle. “Believe it or not, I was trying to catch a fox. It, uh, stole my hat. I went in there after it and then I couldn’t get out. Eventually I got too tired to keep trying and I fell asleep.”

“Really?” Johnny asked curiously.

“Yes indeed,” the stranger said, attempting to brush mud and leaves off of himself with a will, although he didn’t appear to be succeeding. “Believe it or not,” he repeated after a moment. Now that he was out of the tree trunk, Johnny could see that he wasn’t wearing a shirt either, and his hair looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in weeks.

“I believe it,” Johnny reassured amiably. 

“Good,” the stranger said quickly. “Because it’s the truth,” he added after a moment. Both of them paused for a second, and then Johnny stuck out his hand.

“I’m Jonathan,” he stated. 

“Wayne,” the stranger answered. He shook Johnny’s hand enthusiastically; seemingly glad of the subject change. Wayne was kind of a weird guy, Johnny decided, but he seemed nice. He had a wide grin which filled his whole face, and his grip was firm. Wayne had been looking Johnny over as well, and now he paused, with a worried cock of his head. “What are you doing out here anyway, Jonathan? Didn’t anybody tell you these woods aren’t safe?”

“I’m just passing through,” Johnny said casually, gesturing to his backpack. “I heard about the ‘monster’, but it doesn’t seem too bad in here, and I’m loving the spooky trees. Besides…” he cast a meaningful glance at Wayne. “You look pretty at home in here.”

“Oh, well…yes I suppose.” Wayne twiddled his thumbs together, wiggling his bare toes in the leaf mold. “I’m a local though,” he supplied uneasily, “and even I don’t go into the deep places. This path is unpredictable too. It sometimes takes longer to travel it than you might think. If you’re heading for the next village, you may not get there before dark, and it’s definitely not safe then, especially at this time of year.”

“I’ll be fine,” Johnny said firmly. “I’m a fast hiker, and I brought plenty of energy bars. I won’t even need to stop for lunch.” He felt a little annoyed. This was his vacation; the first thing he had been able to plan for and experience all on his own and he wanted to do it right. He didn’t like people telling him he shouldn’t do things. This forest was practically begging to be hiked through, and he was going to do it.

Wayne chewed his lip uncertainly and Johnny noticed that his teeth were yellowed and looked rather sharp. Could use a trip to the dentist, he thought, amused.

“Well, if you’re sure, than wait here for a minute, kid.” Wayne turned abruptly and plunged into the underbrush. He was gone for a few minutes, but just when Johnny was thinking about possibly starting down the path again, Wayne reemerged with something red clutched in his grimy hands. He held the object out proudly and gave it a shake. It was a vest of the type Johnny had seen many Romanian men wearing. It was red and white with black stitching, and was obviously used, although it looked much cleaner than it deserved to be after being handled by Wayne. The man took a step closer and held the vest out in one hand, motioning for Johnny to take it.

“If you’re really set on going through the forest, than I want you to have this,” he said seriously. “If you wear it, than any of my family will know you’re my friend, and they will help you if you get in trouble.”

Johnny took the piece of cloth, touched despite himself. “Thanks man. I’ll take good care of it.”

“Good.” Wayne smiled, relaxing slightly. “Now you’d better get going if you want to get through before dark.”

“Will do. Nice meeting you, Wayne.” 

“You too, kid.” With a wave, the older man turned and plunged into the undergrowth once again, and Johnny lost sight of him almost immediately in the dense trees. Then he was alone. It was such a bizarre encounter it almost seemed like a dream, except for the brightly coloured vest he was holding. 

Johnny grinned and slipped the vest on over his shirt before picking up his backpack again. He wondered what else he would encounter before he reached the next town.

And that’s the first chapter! Let me know how it was. I am trying to keep both characters believable. Johnny is essentially the same character as in the movie, but Dracula has gone through some things in this story.  
I read a lot about Romanian breakfast foods before writing that scene. Sounds like a nice spread, eh?  
Anyone want to make a guess as to what Wayne was really doing in the forest?  
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Next up will be an update for “Shades Of Self”. Let me know what you think, and see you all soon!


	2. Johnny and Drac

Anniversary Chapter 2  
Disclaimer: “Hotel Transylvania” does not belong to me. Neither does “A Toad For Tuesday.”   
Hey all, I’m so glad to see that people were reading and enjoying the first chapter of this rather odd story. I am trying to keep all the characters’ reactions in character, so if I do my job well, and you don’t know the book I’m borrowing this plot from, it might not even feel like a crossover. I hope no one is put off by the source material. This is a story I have been wanting to tell since I first saw “Hotel Transylvania.”   
Some direct quotes from the book this chapter. Anyone who’s read it can see if they can spot them!  
As always, let me know how I’m doing and see you at the bottom!

“Then strong claws wrapped around him. He heard the soft flapping of wings, and he felt the air of the deep woods grow cold as he was lifted into the sky.”  
\- _A Toad For Tuesday_ by Russell E. Erickson

After meeting Wayne and his colourful personality, the forest seemed even quieter. Johnny got the feeling that whatever animals lived here were hiding and peering out as he passed. It added to the eerie feeling and made the hairs stand up at the back of his neck. Even the breeze had died down and the thick leafed roof hung still over his head. Johnny didn’t mind. He helped himself to an energy bar from his pack and started off down the trail again.

After walking for a while, Johnny noticed that the trees seemed to be thinning slightly. They were tall with thick, heavy leaves high over his head, and Johnny wondered if it was too dark for smaller trees to grow. He could see farther into the green distance of the forest. It was rocky and consisted of many hills and hummocks clad in moss and a variety of undergrowth. It still seemed darker than it should have, and the trees were old and sometimes half dead, their branches often twisted or entwined with each other. The silence was getting a little oppressive now, and Johnny decided that some walking music was in order. He put his headphones on and found one of his favourite walking mixes. The music did the trick, and soon he was strolling confidently, humming along to his favourite songs, and no longer thinking about what creatures might be watching him from within the trees.

Johnny dropped his backpack onto an accommodating patch of leaves and sat heavily on a fallen tree trunk. He had continued hiking for approximately another four hours after meeting Wayne, stopping only to drink from his water bottle. He had eaten a sandwich and two more energy bars as he walked, stowing the wrappers away in his pockets as he finished them. It was past four o’clock now, and the dimness beneath the trees was growing.

Wayne hadn’t been kidding about the path being deceptive, Johnny mused, letting his eyes wander out among the old trees. The forest seemed never ending, and there really weren’t any landmarks he could watch for. The path twisted in and out between the worst of the hills, so he couldn’t even see very far along it. He was glad that there was only the one path to follow. It would be incredibly easy to get lost in here. He had also noticed that it was growing darker. It was hard to tell through the thick canopy, but Johnny thought some clouds must have rolled in. It was darker than it usually was during this time of the day. The fading light made the forest look even more sinister, but of course that was what Johnny was here for and the sight gave him a delightful little thrill. 

At the same time, he was a little worried that he might not be able to keep his promise to get through the forest before dark. It couldn’t be more than a couple of hours walk if his virtual map was accurate, but if the sky was already darkening, it would probably count as ‘dark’ by the time he found the forest’s edge. 

Johnny gave a mental shrug. That was the way it went when you were traveling under your own power. You couldn’t always make every deadline. He had a lantern if it got dark enough that he needed it, and he should still be through before true night set in. He stood once again and stretched. He was used to walking a lot, but the uneven ground in the forest was making his feet and calves sore. He decided to treat himself to a hot bath when he got to his hostel. In the mean time, he should probably start walking again.

Johnny was settling his backpack once more on his skinny shoulders, when he felt a faint prickling at the back of his neck as the hairs there stood on end. He paused, than looked back over his shoulder. He saw only the dark, twisted branches and dense foliage. He started hiking again, but the feeling persisted. He could feel eyes on him as though something was following or tracking him, but whenever he looked behind him he saw only trees. He continued walking casually, but he didn’t put his music back on. If there was an unfriendly animal in the forest, he wanted to be ready to climb a tree or something.

After about half an hour of Johnny walking and surreptitiously checking over his shoulder, the feeling seemed to fade and he relaxed a little. Hopefully whatever had been following him had decided finally that he didn’t look tasty enough or slow enough and had given up.

He was now entering a kind of valley in the forest. It was very rocky and filled with moss covered hummocks. As he walked, Johnny noticed the remains of some old, tumble-down buildings sticking out of the ground. They were coated in the thick green moss to such an extent that it was difficult for him to tell what they had once been. Here and there he could make out a window or a carved stone wall. He was sorely tempted to stop and explore, but the light was already fading, and he _had_ promised to try and get through before night. There was also the thought of the animal, or whatever it had been, and Johnny reluctantly adjusted the straps on his backpack and kept walking, though not without snapping a couple of pictures of the more interesting ruins he passed. 

He was almost through the valley, the ground beginning to slope slowly upward again, when he noticed something strange. The canopy was thinner in this part of the forest, and the late orange sunlight shone through the leaves, making Johnny’s shadow, and those of the trees, long and skinny. The shadows fell like uneven stripes across the greens and browns of the forest floor. Johnny had been looking back at some of the crumbling ruins, and his eyes fastened on his shadow, or rather on the second shadow that stretched along the ground beside it. It couldn’t be from a tree or a large rock, because it was moving, keeping pace with him as he walked.

Johnny’s eyes slowly followed the shadow along the ground, rising to meet a tall, dark figure standing by the tree line, and stopped on a pair of burning red eyes.

Johnny didn’t have time to register any other details. He had continued to walk without looking where he was going, and at that moment his right foot slipped into a hole in the dirt and he overbalanced, tumbling off of the path. He felt his ankle twist sharply as it was wrenched from its newfound lodging, and then he was on his face with his backpack somehow sitting on his head. Johnny scrambled up into a sitting position, and found himself facing those same eyes, only now much closer. 

The eyes belonged to a tall man wrapped in a long, black cloak. His hair was black and was slicked back sharply from a face which was thin and impossibly pale, but Johnny noticed these details only later. At the moment he couldn’t look away from the red glowing coals in the stranger’s face. 

The man took a few steps forward, though he seemed to glide over the uneven ground rather than walk. Everything about him screamed _danger_ , and Johnny shuffled back a little, favouring his foot.

“Vhat are you doing in this forest, boy?” the man asked in a soft, cold voice. His accent was heavily pronounced. As he spoke there was a flash of teeth which seemed sharper than normal. Johnny found it difficult to speak with those eyes focused on him, but forced out a casual answer.

“I’m a tourist. I’m just visiting,” he said.

“Vell then, you are going to come and visit me,” the stranger said. “Until next Tuesday, that is.” 

He moved even closer until he was looking down on Johnny from only a foot away. Johnny swallowed, but found he couldn’t move away. A hand with long, bony fingers emerged from the cape’s folds and sized the young man’s shoulder in an iron grip. Johnny could feel the sharp nails digging into his skin through his shirt and the vest Wayne had given him. 

He closed his eyes against the terrible gaze, and as he did so he thought he heard a whisper. His eyes snapped open and he looked around quickly, but noticed that the wind had picked up and was whistling hauntingly through the holes in the crumbling stone wall beside him. There was no one nearby who could help him. 

The tall man swirled his cape around them both and the world seemed to spin. Johnny closed his eyes again at the sickening motion, and when he opened them this time he was faced with four walls made of dark stone, and in much better condition than those in the forest clearing. The room was very large, and must have been grand at one time, but now it was dark and musty smelling. The windows seemed to be shuttered and the only light came from smoking candles on the walls. The tall man released Johnny’s shoulder and stepped back. The red eyes looked him over.

“Vhat is your name?”

“Jonathan.”

“Vell then, I suppose I vill call you…Johnny.”

“Don’t I get to decide that?” Johnny asked, taken aback. 

“I am afraid not…Johnny.”

Johnny was annoyed. In addition to freaking him out and dragging him who knew where, now he was just being rude. Johnny was frightened, but he wasn’t just going to let that pass. Besides, there was something he needed to find out. This guy definitely wasn’t human, especially with the glowing eyes, the sharp teeth and whatever had just happened when they arrived here. Johnny had an idea he knew what ‘monster’ Wayne and Eduard had been talking about.

“Hey, are you supposed to be a vampire or something?” Johnny asked. “Man, that would be so sick if you weren’t, like, gonna suck my blood or something.” He paused, struck by the thought, and the general menace of the man before him. “Wait, _Are_ you gonna suck my blood?” The tall man narrowed his eyes, their glow seeming to intensify. 

“Of _course_ I am going to suck your blood. I will drain every drop from your body.” The vampire seemed to loom, growing taller. His cape fluttered in a breeze Johnny couldn’t feel. A moment later he pulled back slightly. “Do you know vhat the date is today?” 

“Um…yeah,” Johnny answered, perplexed. “It’s July twenty-seventh.”

“Than you know that in five days it vill be Tuesday, August the first,” the vampire said. “That day just happens to be a very important anniversary for me. And finding a careless human vandering in my domain is going to provide me with a very special anniversary supper.” The vampire smiled, fangs glinting in the dim light. “So until that day, Johnny, you may do as you vish. There is no vay to escape from this castle, and it doesn’t look as though you vould be able to valk very far in any case.”

Johnny’s eyes shot to his ankle which was now giving out constant pulses of pain. He tried not to show the worry he was feeling. Instead, he glanced around once more at the grim stone room. 

“Tell me Johnny,” the vampire asked. “Vhat do you think of my castle?” 

Johnny’s eyes slid from darkened doorways to shuttered windows. He looked at the sputtering candles and the massive dining table that was likely carved a decade ago. He noted the years of spider webs and the dust and debris which littered the floor.

“Vell?” The cold voice sounded impatient.

“Dude, it’s terrible!” Johnny exclaimed. “You seriously need an interior decorator. And a maid,” he added. “No way would I want to live here.”

“Do not vorry,” the vampire said. “You von’t be for long.” Johnny squared his shoulders.

“Well, while I _am_ here, do you mind if I make myself at home? It’s not very comfortable in here.”

“Not comfortable?” The vampire mused. He glanced around at the room as though he honestly couldn’t see the problem. “Very vell. Do as you vish. It does not make a difference to me.”

Johnny nodded. He was curious to explore the castle, but it felt strange to do so while the vampire was just standing there, not to mention the fact that his ankle was currently throbbing in time to his heartbeat. So instead he opened his backpack and pulled out the self-inflating air mattress he kept for emergencies. While it was inflating he took off his right shoe and rested his foot on his small camping pillow. Next out of the pack was a small rechargeable lantern which brightened his side of the room considerably. 

As Johnny got set up, the normality of his actions helped him to relax and he started to feel better. After a minute he started whistling one of the songs he had been listening to during his hike. At the sound, the vampire turned back to him in surprise. 

“Johnny, did you not hear me say that I vas going to kill you next Tuesday?” he asked in bewilderment.

“Sure,” Johnny affirmed easily. The vampire shook his head.

Johnny went back to his whistling. He was digging around in his backpack for his first aid kit when he had a sudden thought. He turned to the vampire.

“What’s _your_ name?” he asked. The vampire waved one hand dismissively. 

“A hundred years have passed since I had a name,” he answered grandly.

Johnny blinked. “Okay, than what do your friends call you?”

“I have no friends.”

“That’s too bad, dude.”

“No, it is not! I do not have any friends, nor do I need them. Now be silent!” the vampire snarled. His silhouette seemed to fill the large room and for a moment his fangs and burning eyes seemed to take up Johnny’s entire field of vision. Then he dwindled back to his former size. 

Johnny nodded and went back to digging through his backpack. After a few minutes without speaking he asked “What did your name used to be?”

The vampire seemed a little flustered. Johnny got the impression he wasn’t used to talking to anyone. He seemed to think for a minute.

“My name,” he said quietly. “My name used to be…Dracula.”

“Seriously?” Johnny couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. “That’s so cool, dude! But if we’re doing nicknames, than can I call you Drac?”

“I suppose,” the vampire said hesitantly.

“Sweet!” Johnny turned back to his rummaging. He found the first aid kit after a moment and dug through it to find something to put on his ankle. Finding the appropriate tube he squeezed out the white cream, spreading it gently over his swollen ankle. Then he took out a roll of gauze and wrapped the ankle tightly. It was very sensitive and touching it hurt, but he knew it would be bad to leave it alone. He would only make it worse by moving it too much without thinking.

The vampire now seemed to be getting ready to leave. He had moved to the center of the room, near the massive table, and was gathering his cloak around himself.

“Hey Drac,” Johnny called. The vampire turned.

“Are you addressing me?”

“Yeah,” Johnny said. “Mind if I set up a game of cards?”

“Oh, go ahead,” the bewildered vampire said.

Johnny grabbed his deck of cards and hobbled gingerly over to the table. He noticed the vampire watching out of the corner of his eye as he separated the deck and arranged the cards for a game of Yuker. As Johnny finished, he noticed that the vampire was again gathering his cloak around himself as though about to vanish.

“It’s ready!” Johnny called. The vampire paused again in confusion and some annoyance.

“Vhat is ready?” he asked

“Our Yuker game.”

“No thank you,” the vampire said with disdain.

“Oh come on Drac,” Johnny wheedled. “You can’t play any good card games by yourself. Besides, I’ve already set it up.” There was silence for a moment.

“Oh, very vell,” the vampire grumbled. 

Johnny snagged his lantern and placed it on the table. Then, by its bright electric glow, Johnny and Dracula sat down to play cards.

End of chapter two!   
I’m so glad to see the nice response to this story! It’s great to see people are curious about where it is going, and are enjoying the characters so far. Johnny’s hard to write for because of all the slang, but he’s lots of fun, and I’m really enjoying his perspective.  
Next up is probably Shades Of Self chapter 19 or Memories Make Us chapter 5.  
Thank you for reading!


End file.
